William w



(No Model.)

I 'W. W. SWAN.

CARRIAGE TOP ADJUSTER.

No. 453,522. Patented June 2,1891.

WITNESSES:

INVENTOB wmiwm ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XVILLIAM V. S\VAN, OF ANDOVER, SOUTH DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRED. S. PE\V, OF SAME PLACE.

CARRIAGE-TOP ADJUSTER.

$PECIFICA'I'ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,522, dated June 2, 1891.

Application filed May 16, 1890- Serial No. 352,043. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM W. SWAN, of Andover, in the county of Day and State of South Dakota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding-Carriage-Top Adjusters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improved device for the movement of the tops of buggies to or other vehicles that are furnished with adj ustable covers, and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, and convenient device for the manipulation of the jointed frame-supports of the vehicle-cover, whereby i 5 said frame may be elevated or lowered with ease and safety by the operator seated in the vehicle.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described, and indicated in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicletop having the improvement applied, the top being raised and secured. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a vehicle-top with the improvement applied, the parts of the jointed supporting-frame of said top being shown in folded adjustment. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side View of the improvement detached. Fig. at is an edge View of the same; and Fig. 5, an enlarged side View of the jointed frame of the vehicle-top, the cover and bow being removed, showing a modified construction an d arrangement of the improvement.

If well constructed, the joints in the side props of an ordinary adj ustable-top frame for a covered vehicle are held stable by the tensional strain of the cover when elevated and stretched, the spread of the bows coacting with the forward inclination of the side props of the frame to effect this, so that the exertion of considerable manual force is required to flex the joints of the side props and permit the top to be lowered into the position shown in Fig. 2.

If there are no special means furnished to facilitate the manipulation of the adjustable frame of a vehicle-cover, great inconvenience is experienced, and accidents have resulted from an attempt to change the adjustment of the top of a vehicle drawn by a spirited animal, owing to the difficulty incident, to the operation and the consequent loss of control of the horse, as the animal may be startled by the movement and noise produced when the joints of the top are snapped and the cover suddenly relaxed.

The simple and inexpensive adjunctive feature forming the subject of this invention obviates the labor, inconvenience, and danger incurred in the manipulation of jointed vehicle-tops in the ordinary way, as will hereinafter appear.

The supportingfraine for a movable vehicle-cover (represented in Figs. 1 and 2) is of the usual form given to well-constructed devices of the kind, and consists, essentially, of a series of bows A, pivotally supported to fold by jointed fingers a, that are loosely fastened to front ends of the side bars I), on the rear ends I) of which the side braces B are pivoted by their lower ends. Each of the opposite side braces B, that are the main props of the vehicle-top, have rule-joints c to connect the two pieces 0 o forming the same, which joints are held locked from rearward flexure by the jointed connection of the upper ends d of the side braces B with the top braces C, that are rule-jointed at e and pivoted at e. to the outer bows A, so as to permit them to flex upwardly, but to become rigid when the cover A is stretched taut by an elevation and con sequent spread of the bows A.

As before mentioned, the forward inclina tion of the side braces B, in connection with the top braces O, bows A, and cover A, serves go to hold the rule-joints c and 6 against accidental flexure, and this necessary secured adj ustment of parts will be maintained until the lock afforded at the rule-joints is broken by a fiexure of the same. Upon the release of a rule-joint c of one side brace B the fiexure of the corresponding joint on the opposite side braces will be produced, owing to the connec* tion of these braces with other parts of the vehicle-top. Consequently in order to effect the easy release of therulejoints c and a lowering movement of the entire structure it is only necessary to afford ready means for the fiexure of both' of the side braces B.

The device provided for the purpose indicated consists of two levers D, which may be either made adjustable upon one of the sections 0 c of the side braces B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or integral therewith, as shown in Fig. 5. Thelevers D being identical in form on each side of the frame, but one lever is shown.

As represented inFigs. 3 and 4, the levers D consist each of a metal bar, on one end of which is formed a clamp g, consisting of a fixed jaw and a movable jaw, said clamp being adapted to embrace one of the side braces B at such a point thereon below or above its rule-joint as will project the lever forwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the front ends it of the levers, which are bent to afford a handgrasp, may be readily elevated a short distance and drawn forward or pushed backward. \Vhen the levers D are moved sufficiently to release the rule-joints c on each of the side braces B, a rearward and downward folding movement of the vehicle-top will result, which adjustment of parts can be controlled with ease by an operator occupying the vehicleseat, so as to prevent the top falling suddenly.

One lever D is shown in Fig. 2 as in the position it assumes when the vehicle-top is in folded adjustment, being thrown up parallel to the top brace of the frame if said top brace C is not flexed to completely fold the cover A.

When it is desired to raise a folded vehicle-top which is provided with the levers D,

it is only necessary to grasp the forward bow of top, pulling the top forward and upward. This movement brings the free ends it of the levers D into a position where they are easily pressed down by the fingers, thus completing the operation and locking the joints and top in their position shown in Fig. 1 and'rendering the structure stable. A reverse movement of levers D unlocks joints when top islowered in like manner to its position shown in Fig. 2.

The levers D may be given any preferred position on the side braces that may be found most suitable for use and be formed integral with the side braces or separable therefrom, as may be desired.

An essential feature of advantage claimed for the levers D consists in their being serviceable as a guard for the side curtains of the vehicle, as when the top is lowered the levers prevent the side curtains fro m flapping outwardly, and thus keep them from contact with the wheels of the Vehicle, which would soil and wear them out rapidly.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the folding top, the bows A of which are pivoted at a, and the twopart braces B, formed of two sections 0 c hinged together at c and pivoted at b d, of two arms D, each rigidly, adj ustably, and detachably secured at its rear end to a lower brace-section c, and projecting forwardly beyond the bows, substantially as described.

XVILLIAM W'. S-VVAN.

Witnesses:

E. C. BOWEN, H. N. BENLEY. 

